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Category: Builds

Megan’s March Break Build

Megan's March Break Build

What Megan had to say about her Build.

“These ten days had such a huge impact on me. They changed the way I view love and connection, blurred the lines between friends and family and opened my eyes to the complexities of poverty. I’ve learned about the nature of humanity and the joy of togetherness. I met some of the hardest working and kindest people ever and was lucky enough to hear some of their stories. I’ve fallen completely in love with a country full of life, and before I’d even left I knew I needed to come back- I can’t stay away.”

Volunteers building in a rural neighborhood.Woman walking with children in colorful neighborhood.Diverse group smiling outside house.Volunteers building a wooden structure outdoors.Smiling woman holds playful child outdoors.Group standing outside speaking and listening.Person ziplining over lush green forestPeople on high rope bridge adventure course

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Author: LiveDifferent

Date: March 29th, 2017

St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School Blogs and Updates

April 23rd
We arrived safely to the Dominican Republic on Saturday evening. We met with the Live Different staff, and checked into our resort room.
April 24th
On Saturday morning we attended mass. We were wearing our LiveDifferent t-shirts and actually got called up to the altar to represent the organization! A student from our group said a small speech about why are here and what our mission is. We even made it to the local news channel!
After mass, we visited a community where LiveDifferent has previously built houses. It was a crowded community of about 3000 people that live by a river. Because of rain, the river would often overflow and flood some homes. We were able to meet the families for which we were building houses. We had the opportunity to speak with them and ask them about their life. They were very open and friendly, and grateful for what is soon going to be their new home. We finished off the day perfectly with a nice dinner and karaoke!
April 25th 2016: Project Day 1
Today was a very exciting and productive day. We woke up to a little bit of rain, and got ready to head to the worksite. Before we arrived, we stopped at the two houses the previous year’s Life Different group had built – it was emotional for the people who returned this year. They got to see the house they built and how it was very well taken care of, the beautiful family that is still so grateful for their new home, and the fact that their old house would have been flooded due to the rain this morning. For the newcomers, it was amazing to see the expressions and joy this family had because of the new house, and because of Life Different. Thinking about it now, we are excited to see that our students, with LiveDifferent’s help, will have the privilege to build another beautiful home for yet another beautiful family by the end of this week.
After the bumpy bus ride to our current worksite, we were given instructions and got right into work. Some of us mixed cement, others carried bricks and buckets or shoveled dirt, and others spoke to the family through our trusted translator Rafael or visited a family just a few houses down to experience a “Day In the Life” of that family. We learned so much about what it takes to build a house, and it was quite different from what we were used to.
Everyone has been working very hard. We’re all strong, determined, and happy to be where we are. We’re working alongside contractors, who taught us and helped us build the house. Luckily it was cloudy today, and it would sometimes rain which was refreshing. It was very muddy, and our house backs onto a steep valley. One of the families we’re building for consisted of a pregnant woman, her husband, and two children. The house they are currently living in is wooden house that’s close to a river.
At around noon we left to go to pastor Garcia’s church for lunch. We were all together, smiling, laughing, sharing stories and eating our food. A few kids came by, and they loved to hang on our backs and play tag with each other. We would practice speaking Spanish by asking them their names and how they were feeling today. I noticed how many kids here in the Dominican Republic do not wear shoes outside. I didn’t know whether it was their choice, or whether they couldn’t afford any, or didn’t have any. It was pouring rain and the beginning of our lunch, and the kids would just walk barefoot on the cold, hard and slippery cement, but it was like it didn’t bother them one bit.
After lunch we returned to the worksite. We continued our hard work for a few more hours before we left to go back to the resort. By the end of the work day, we literally put our blood, sweat, and tears into this house. It is an experience that will stay with us forever, and change the family’s life for the better.
April 26th 2016: Project Day 2
Today was an easier day because we weren’t so overwhelmed with this new environment. Also, the family we were building for was very generous; they cooked a local meal we call fried pig, but to them its called “chicharon”. It was absolutely delicious! They made us feel at home by eating and laughing with us. It was very nice and heart warming to know that they accepted us into their home. Also when it came to the house building, we worked to finish off leveling the floors and started the smooth coating on the front of the house. And of course the kids were out to play today, jumping on peoples backs, talking and laughing with us. We also started playing basketball with them, but our competitive natures came out and it became a teacher and student game.
April 27th 2016: Project Day 3
The houses are now halfway done, but there’s still a lot to do. We learned to communicate with the contractors through hand movements and simple Spanish phrases like “agua”, “aqui” and “si” and “no”. When the contractors needed more cement mixture they would shout “mekla, mekla” and we would all form a bucket line to pass down the mixture. They would also shout “agua, agua” when they needed water and “no mas” for no more.
After the workday, we took showers and got ready for a nice dinner in the neighbouring city. We had dinner right by the sea, and it was beautiful and delicious. At some point during the meal, a mariachi band sang to us. It made the night even more special.
April 28th : Project Day 4; Final Project Day
I was excited and nervous about today because I really hoped we could paint, and because I had my Day in the Life experience in the afternoon. When we arrived at the worksite, as always, we were surprised at how hardworking the contractors are. They would always leave after us, arrive before us, and have a much shorter lunch than us. Because of them, we learned how to build a house, and because of them we were able to paint today.
The priority was to level the floors. A group of people pick-axed the dirt from the land across the road and brought it into the house, a group sifted sand that would be used to create a mixture (“mekla”) for the smooth coat of the house, and a group painted. We all had our designated jobs to do, we had music, and we just enjoyed it all. Although our jobs were hard, we had an amazing team of students, contractors and LiveDifferent leaders that made it a lot more fun.
After lunch, I headed off with two of my classmates and translator Anthony for Day in the Life. We visited a single and unemployed mother of five daughters, who also took care of a one-year-old son who wasn’t even hers. We helped them clean the house by sweeping and mopping, and we helped make dinner. They taught us how to make chicken and rice, and we even tasted it. It was really good! One of the daughters is actually a singer, and she sang a song for us. It was beautiful! She told us how she won a singing competition when she was only twelve! The mother was telling us how she spends most of her income on transporting her daughters to school because they live so far away from it. Their house was actually build by LiveDifferent, and the family was still so overwhelmed and grateful that now they can sleep soundly in a dry place when it rains. It was great to see that even after three years they took care of their home very well. We knew that the homes we were building would also be taken care of very well.
April 29th : House Dedication Day
Today was not a work day. In the morning we visited a monkey jungle, and the ceremony for house-dedication will begin in the afternoon. The monkey jungle was very fun! We had little monkeys eating out of our hands and sitting on top of our heads. We learned that the proceeds of the tickets actually go to the medical and dental clinic in the back of the jungle. There are volunteers who offer free services towards those in the community that need it most. It was very cool to see that.
At around 2:00 PM Friday, we all wore our LiveDifferent t-shirts and headed to the worksites. Students who came on the trip on the previous year gave speeches and handed the keys to the families. It was very emotional. A lot of us cried because we put so much effort and hard work into these two houses, and we were so happy that now the families would not have water up to their knees when it rains. The faces on the families was priceless. The children were so happy. These houses would not only belong to one family, but everyone in the community was welcome inside especially when it rains. It was so beautiful to see how much we’ve accomplished and how far we’ve come as a team.
After the ceremony, we said our goodbyes to the families. It was very difficult since we built such strong relationships with each other. A girl became best friends with one of our students, others gave bracelets and letters. It was so sweet, which made it more difficult to say goodbye. When we arrived back to the resort, we were given a very motivational and inspiring speech by one of the LiveDifferent representatives – Cole. Some of us ended in tears. After that, we said our goodbyes to the LiveDifferent workers that guided us on the trip. We formed some really deep connections with people during these eight days. It was so sad to leave such an amazing place filled with such amazing people. We had such a great time and experience that we will never forget.
April 30th : Departure Day
Our flight leaves in the late afternoon, so we had all morning to do whatever we wanted. We sipped our last “Banana Mamas” and “Pina Coladas”, played our last games of pool, and ate our last meals from the buffet in the Dominican Republic by the sea. We all had fun and shared our last moments here together. We said our final goodbyes to the staff of the resort with whom we also built relationships, and the LiveDifferent leaders. This day was also full of tears. Although some of these memories will fade, the future of the people to whom we build houses will be forever changed. This is just the beginning of some of the amazing and life-changing things my team and I will do in our lives.
– Viktoria, St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School Volunteer

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: April 28th, 2016

I just came home from a LiveDifferent Build…now what?

I have now been on two trips with LiveDifferent (both of which were in the Dominican) and each time, the goodbyes only seem to get harder. With Live Different, you build so much more than a home for a family. You build relationships, with both your teammates and community members; you build self confidence, understanding that you are capable of creating change; you build hope, for a family that may have found it hard to hold onto; and you build dreams, as you reflect on the things you have the learned, the ways you have changed, and the goals you have for the future.
Returning home the first time was incredibly difficult for me. I came home to people who couldn’t comprehend the way I had been touched by such an experience, and an environment so clouded by things I no longer saw as important. So, the second time around, I vowed to find better ways to adjust, and refused to let the fire that LiveDifferent had lit inside of me to burn out. After mulling over my thoughts and piecing together every part of my experience, I came up with a list of things I thought were important to me; things I wanted to maintain long after my experience in the Dominican Republic. Hopefully, these things will also help many of you as you process what you’ve experienced, and the ways in which you can apply this knowledge in order to create change in your life back at home.
1. Surround yourself with people who share your passion for change.
I learned pretty quickly that when people with big hearts and similar passions surround you, you thrive continuously and endlessly. It is so refreshing having conversations with people like this because it provides a portal for you to share your knowledge, your values, your thoughts and concerns, with a level of understanding that others aren’t able to give you. My involvement with Live Different has allowed me to build lifelong friendships with people exactly like this.
2. Maintain a thirst for knowledge and remember that you never know everything.
I recently met a middle-aged gentleman at my university. We engaged in small talk and he asked what I was taking in school. Upon telling him I was an anthropology student, he suggested I look into “ethnobotany,” explaining to me that it was the study of how people of particular cultures interact with plants and biodiversity. How cool is that?! Had I not given this guy five minutes of my time to have a short conversation, I probably still wouldn’t know that field even existed. This reminded me that you can learn something from everyone – whether it be someone very close to you, or someone you meet once and never see again. Remember to take advantage of this. Engage in conversation, not because you feel like you should, but because you want to. Keep an open mind about all the things you can take out of a simple interaction with someone, and let this guide you in speaking with as many people as possible. Of course there will be times where you are not so interested in what someone’s saying, but there will be just as many times you find yourself saying, “Whoa! Who would have thought?” – so make sure you take that chance! To take this further, spend time researching what you’re interested in. This doesn’t have to mean spending your Friday night on Google skimming through articles, but it could very well mean spending your Friday night watching a documentary about something you’re passionate about. Take advantage of the easy ways to stimulate your brain and continue learning.
3. Set goals for yourself… and stick to them.
Make a list of things you’d like to accomplish, places you’d like to see, and people you’d like to make contact with. They can be short-term or long-term goals, and they can be as “far-fetched” as you’d like, but whatever they are, I think it’s important to have personal goals for the future. It’s a way to keep your mind and body busy and stimulated, and for you to feel a continued sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. Once you have a list, narrow it down to a couple things you’d like to devote yourself to in the now, and brainstorm ways in which you can reach those goals.
4. Don’t get overwhelmed.
When I was first in the Dominican, I was immensely overwhelmed by the magnitude of poverty and desperation that I saw. I couldn’t really comprehend the things I was seeing, smelling, and hearing, nor could I formulate any sort of understanding of how I could possibly change it. Vincent Van Gogh once said, “Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” As my time in the communities continued, this became all the more real to me, and I realized the importance of remembering we cannot change the world overnight. Rather than feeling hopeless about the number of people living in poverty, I think it’s important to focus on what you are doing and whom you are helping at one particular moment. If it wasn’t for you, the organization and community that you’re working with, and your amazing team members, one family’s life might not have been changed. Focus on the now, and take it day by day.
5. Keep a healthy balance.
I’ve talked a lot about ways to maintain your global citizenship after returning from a humanitarian trip, but it’s nevertheless important to keep a balanced lifestyle. There are times where it’s important to be kind to yourself and to do things simply because you will enjoy them. Go out for dinner with your friends, plan a spa weekend, or pick up tickets to see your favourite band. Make sure to stay involved in the activities that you love, whether it’s sports, art, music, fashion, movies, comic books, etc. Whatever it may be, it’s important to do things for yourself sometimes without feeling guilty.
6. Think of small ways to make a difference. 
Remember what I said above about not getting overwhelmed, and remembering that we can’t change the world overnight? Well, there are some things that you can change. Think of something small that you can take on, whether it’s volunteering in your local community, doing advocacy work for a cause you care about, or maybe even fundraising for LiveDifferent (or another charity that matters to you) so that they can continue to bring change to people who need it. Even something as simple as asking your parents or neighbours if there’s a way you can help them out will make a huge difference, and will show you how easy it is to bring change in small ways.
So far, these are the practices that have assisted me in ensuring that I don’t lose the momentum that being a part of a Build has brought to my life. These positive choices have helped me see that I can continue to make a difference, both in my own life, and in my community. I hope that others can benefit from these lessons, and find ways to put them to use so that we can all “LiveDifferent” as we continue to find ways to bring about positive change.
– Haley, LiveDifferent Volunteer

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: March 28th, 2016

Great Expectations

Expectation is a funny thing. It can move you to action anticipating one outcome, only to find that what you finally experience is something quite different. This was the case in my experience with the Live Different Build trip.
I didn’t expect hard labour. Wouldn’t they just put the unskilled gringos on shovel-washing duty or something trivial like that? Despite this, I wanted to experience the amazing feeling that would come from being a part of something that would impact a family’s life so significantly. I wasn’t quite accurate on either account.
Yes, there was some shovel-washing. But there was also shoveling, cement mixing, sifting mounds of sand, and applying cement to the house. It was real labour. Add high temperatures, children weaving about constantly, and the odd animal roaming underfoot, and the challenge grew. But that was the easy part.
Group of people smiling indoors.
Our “day-in-the-life” excursion gave us a chance to visit a family in their home, to help with some chores, and make a meal with them. Accompanied by LiveDifferent volunteer trainees Katie and Mark, my colleague June and I visited the home of Lulu. She lives with her husband, Ollie, and adorable three-year-old daughter in a small, two-room house. One room is used as a kitchen/living room/hair salon (Lulu is a hairdresser) and the other is a bedroom where the three of them sleep on a mattress held off the floor by cinder blocks. The walls are draped with sheets to cover the spaces between the wooden boards that act as walls.
The washroom, a small concrete structure outside of the house, consists of a shower and a hole in the floor which, we presumed, was the toilet (us Canadians were too shy and proper to ask). June and I were lucky. We visited a family that was doing relatively well. Some of our other colleagues had quite a different experience.
Seeing people live that way was hard, but it was surprisingly harder to see the love, warmth, and appreciation they had for each other – and for us! – despite their difficult lives. They didn’t feel sorry for themselves, and what they lacked in “stuff” they made up for tenfold in their relationships. Why was this hard to see? Because, suddenly, this trip didn’t make me feel like a good person at all. I complain about trivial things daily though I have everything I need and more, and I often catch myself valuing the wrong things. Many of their most basic needs go unmet, yet they would happily share all of what little they have. The secret to their joy is something we already know, that, as LiveDifferent so eloquently puts it, “life is about people, not stuff.”
Knowing something on an intellectual level can only take you so far. Experiencing the reality of it is quite a different thing. After I was through feeling like an arse, I started to feel amazing getting up each morning knowing that what I was about to do that day mattered to somebody else’s life. I feared this feeling might be short-lived. I might come back to Canada and fall into old patterns. It’s not a perfect path, but something has definitely shifted and I don’t imagine there’s any going back.
– Lucy – LiveDifferent Builds Volunteer, Spring 2016

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: March 17th, 2016

Without a Doubt

The family that our team is building for is made up of Florencia, and her two adult sons, Martin and Jose. During the trip, I found out that Martin had been born with a clubbed foot and has had to live with it his whole life due to very limited access to medical care. This struck close to home for me because my youngest sister was also born with two clubbed feet. Although we were able to get reconstructive surgery, I remember how expensive it was, even with all the healthcare we are fortunate enough to have in Canada. It was very difficult to afford, but possible. Florencia unfortunately could not begin to dream of affording such an operation for her son. I remember very well how hard it was on my family and how much my mother would lock herself away in her room to cry, then try to come out and pretend nothing was wrong. She didn’t want us to know her pain and this gives me all the respect in the world for Florencia.

To be able to bring up a son and raise him to be as kind of a man as he is, is nothing short of amazing. I know personally that even after surgery, my sister still cannot do many of the things that we all do without thinking twice; how embarrassed she gets when she says she has to stop because her ankle hurts her too bad. To see Martin work with us in his work boots like nothing was wrong makes me see him as almost super human. To see him work so hard with a smile on his face, while whistling, singing, and talking is so inspirational. I am beyond honoured and humbled to be a part of this LiveDifferent/Building Dreams trip.  

After talking to Florencia about my younger sister and how much I respected her and Martin, she stood up, wiped away her eyes, hugged me for an extended period of time and said to me, “you are my son now”. This above all was such a heartwarming and overwhelming feeling. She is such a kind and amazing woman, as is everyone I have had the privilege of encountering in this community. It amazes me how community orientated everyone is and how they will not even think twice about going out of their way to help their neighbour. Knowing people with such wonderful values and outlooks is a rare commodity where I live. It is very rare to even see a person help another without some way of benefiting or making a profit for him/herself. I see people stepping on other people to raise their position everyday. It is so disheartening how these people are often the ones that succeed in our individualistic world. I find it so refreshing to have an escape from that. Even though we are so wealthy and have so much, these people who some might consider to be unfortunate are the real wealthy ones. We live in such an organized society where we are trained to judge one another by our bank accounts and how much materialistic ‘stuff’ we have. I truly wish everyone back home could understand what these people know without a doubt – that some things are more important than money.

Zach – LiveDifferent Volunteer, Building Dreams Build Trip, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: August 26th, 2015

Simple Lessons

“My lady just asked me how I am!!”, shouted the girl I was carrying as I toured through the community for the first time. The children are the undeniable force of this community. Every morning our bus is followed by their chorused fanfare, their hands outreached like they are ready to catch us. At first I found this intense level of affection overwhelming. However, I could never have have been prepared for how deeply I have been affected by my experience in this place. 
 
Full disclosure, I have never found myself naturally at ease with children; maybe it’s a skill you develop over time, but I have a long way to go. Kids are so genuine, trusting, and unreserved, compared to adults. Add in a language barrier and I’m completely lost. Rosa, the girl who shouted with such glee that I spoke to her in broken Spanish, is about seven years old. She had her hair done in braids with bobble ties every day I saw her. Mostly she would say hello, hold my hand, and show me off to her friends. During the week we started affectionately calling this interaction ‘getting a shadow’. But make no mistake, the kids choose us, on what criteria I will probably never know.
 
 
I’ve always been wary of some of the more self-serving aspects of humanitarian work. University students doing voluntourism for the chance to boast on their resume, not to mention on their Facebook profile picture holding a child like Rosa, has to me, always felt fake.
 
I have several photos now like this now, and it reminds me that going on a trip like this is not about whatever agenda you may have had when you arrived. Perhaps I originally came on this trip for some of my own selfish reasons, but those all get thrown out the window once you grasp the reality of the how strong the people in these communities are, and how much they have to teach us even in the midst of their need. In this community the children live a very different life than what I experienced growing up. Like other young children around the age of seven, Rosa will be expected to help with many of the household chores. Depending on the circumstances she may have to miss days of school to take care of her younger siblings. In her free time you’ll find her with a crowd of others, tirelessly shovelling away with these gringos, building a new house for her neighbour. 
 
 
I was aware before my time in here in the Dominican Republic that’s it’s a common trend that children living in poverty are not children for very long. However, seeing what that looks like, and realizing that it’s everyday life for many of these children, that is an entirely different kind of knowledge. These kids flow through their lives facing struggles that even cause me, as an adult, to break down in tears. Yet they do so with such energy and unapologetic joy! These are some of the happiest children I’ve ever met!

This how I ended up sitting in the dirt of a construction zone getting my nails done by Rosa, while her friend braided my sweat soaked hair. I have given endless piggy back rides, and held every hand that was reached out to me. These are the simplest things to give, but to these kids it makes their day. But it’s the lessons they taught me about compassion, hard work, and most importantly how to have fun, that will stay in my heart forever. 

– Chloe, LiveDifferent Builds Volunteer, Boston Pizza Trip, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: August 12th, 2015

Laughter, Stories, and Love

When I thought about going to do a LiveDifferent Build, I couldn’t wrap my head around what I would to actually experience. I could only try to picture the people I was going to meet and the house I was going to help build. I am pleased to say that the picture in my head was not as awesome as it actually here! I have never met such inspiring people in my life, including one of our families, Hilda and Fransicso. Their way of living might not be how we live in Canada or the US but they make it work, they laugh, they have love stories just like you and I, and they love each other unconditionally.


           
At first the family was a little bit shy of all of us, but today they started to come out of their shells and to build alongside us more and more. Hilda, the mother, was so excited to see the green apple paint color she had chosen for the outside of their new home and helped paint almost all day. Fransisco, the Father, and Havar, the Grandfather, came to help also after working his regular day job of delivering water. Lupe, the Grandmother, loved to paint and especially loved telling her loved stories about how she met Havar at such a young age!  Lastly, the children stole our hearts immediately. The language barrier means nothing when you’re laughing and playing soccer with them. They are fun and excited to have us all at the work site – even the neighboring kids come around to play!

Tomorrow is another day at the work site and everyone is saying how different everyday will be and I am so excited to experience it! I am so filled with hope for Hilda, Fransicso, Lupe, Havar, and all the children as we all continue to help build their new home.

Kaelin, LiveDifferent Volunteer, Mexico Public Trip, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: August 10th, 2015

A Day to Remember

We had the great honour of meeting Florencia and Martin during our Day in the Life visit.  We were amazed by the hospitality shown to us with the limited material items they possessed.  We were seated in “pride of place” on a well-used couch that was the most comfortable piece of furniture in their home, and they wanted their guests to be seated there.  Sharon learned from Florencia how to sweep and wash floors the Dominican way with good old fashioned elbow grease and no Swiffer in sight! 

The work was made more difficult by the intense heat in such a small environment.  Florencia showed great pride in her clean floors.  Meanwhile, Linda spent time with Martin preparing a meal. The lack of clean water to properly wash and prepare the food and utensils left Linda wondering how the family stays healthy. A full meal was prepared in a very small space, and the few utensils that Florencia and Martin own are kept in a plastic peanut butter jar with a lid tightened to prevent insects from crawling on them. Martin proudly showed us a box he had made using scrap wood to store any food they may have to keep it safe from cockroaches and rats. A piece of denim material was used as a wiping cloth as well as a pot holder. We were taken aback by the amount of time and work required to do these simple tasks without all the gadgets we have to make our lives easier in Canada.

As we thanked the family and said goodbye, we hid our tears until we were out of sight so as not to offend.  We then broke down in tears of frustration, sadness, and even anger as to how in the year 2015 people can be living in such deplorable conditions. Isn’t it about time that we decrease the gap between those who have and those have not?  As we left the community, we were reminded as the LiveDifferent message states, “Life is about people, not stuff”. 

On the last day of the build, we were invited by Tara and Liam from LiveDifferent to share the amazing news with Florencia and Martin that they will have a new home built for them in a few short weeks.  Florencia looked up to the heavens and thanked God and us for this great gift.  Martin was moved to near tears and kept repeating “thank you, thank you, thank you”.  Both of us agree that this was such a defining moment for us that our future plan is to fundraise and build another home in Nuevo Renancer, hopefully with friends and family members.  This has truly been a life changing experience that now allows us to “LiveDifferent”!

LiveDifferent Volunteers, WestJet Christmas in July Build Trip, Dominican Republic, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 30th, 2015

Little Things

Sometimes you may see or hear things on the news about poverty, but you never really know what it’s like until you’ve witnessed it first hand and met some of the amazing people who are “living in poverty”. I met so many amazing, selfless people, who were so generous and giving when they had very little to give.
 
We met so many people who opened up to us, and let us into their worlds. I never felt out of place or judged, instead I felt welcomed and loved by the people who accepted me into their homes and into their hearts. We met so many different people with diverse stories; from losing loved ones, to losing their homes, and of course many happy stories as well. But what amazed me was that these beautiful people have gone through so much struggle, but they light up the world despite the difficult things that they have encountered. It is inspiring to see such courage, determination, and strength that is displayed everyday.
 
 
The individuals I met in the communities of Arroyo Seco and Nuevo Renacer had so much faith, and they show so much gratitude for everything that they have, and continue to give even though they have little. I know a lot of people, including myself, who take for granted that we have a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a comfy bed to sleep on. When we got the opportunity to provide an entire family with those things, there is truly no better feeling than being a part of making that possible. 
 
 
I could tell so many stories about my experience, both happy and somber, but I think that everyone should experience this amazing opportunity for themselves. I am so inspired thanks to the amazing residents of the Dominican Republic that I met, as well as the LiveDifferent  volunteers and staff, who are all very dear to my heart.

– Chaydin, LiveDifferent Volunteer, Summer Public Trip, Dominican Republic, 2015

 

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 24th, 2015

The Happiest Place on Earth

Coming into this journey I was expecting to be overwhelmed by the new experiences and circumstances that I would encounter. But to my surprise my observations were completely opposite. To these families, even though they live in a house made up of scrap materials, they did their best to make it a home. While the family has few possessions, (I realized that I have more stuff in my suitcase than they have in their entire house), they clearly do not think that their happiness comes from what they own – instead, it comes from the love and joy that makes up this family of eight! 
 
 
While the daily life of providing for their family can be a struggle, it really does seem that all that matters to the families in this area is a relationship with God and with each other. The smiles on everyone’s faces are contagious which causes us to smile back! Today a group of us went and played soccer with a group of kids, and despite the language barrier that we faced, we had an amazing time and made so many new friends. It’s said that Disney World is the happiest place on earth, but from my experience so far, I think that Mexico is! 
 
– Cayley, LiveDifferent Volunteer, GBC Mexico Trip, 2015

Author: LiveDifferent

Date: July 21st, 2015